The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-06-10
PEREeRlNATlNG FRUIT DEALERS.
The Chap Who Sets Snares for Unwary
Buyers.


Buyers.
Especial Correspondence
NEW York, June /.
The peregrinaJing sidewalk merchant is a
creature to keep away from in this city. But
not every one succeeds in keeping away from
him. He has snares in the shape of rotten
fruits and stale vegetables artfully set for the
trustful and unwary. One might suppose that
in New York every ones caution would be-
come SO highly developed that no one would
be taken in. Not SO. The thief in the dis
guise of a vender draws victims around him
by the score, takes their money and sends
them ON to regret their folly and to repeat it
the next time they have a chance,
He works ON the well known, well worn,
but ever responsive string in the human
heart, the hope of getting something for less
than it is worth. Never, never will mortal
man learn that he pays for everything: that
whenever he thinks he gets something for
nothing he is dead sure to eventually pay for
it twice and thrice over, and mortal woman
win be even slower at learning this regret
saving truth. She is the peregrinating
merchants particular meat. She fairly
throws her money at him, SO anxious is she to
secure the decisions he offers.
ing strawberries. He locates near the
market, where people with purchasing intent
must pass him going and coming. When
quart baskets of Strawberries are selling at
thirty-five cents elsewhere he displays very
fair looking ones labeled in loud figures ss15
cents" Everybody pauses, of course, and
nearly everyb body buys. His stock goes off as
rapidly as an assistant can wrap up the
,o.l .lya%c md I,oa fo1y {boa oh 10.
done with SO great haste that no one can ex-
anime the berries. Crate after crate of bas-
kets disappears; the money rattles into the
Golfers of the conscienceless creature at the
liveliest rate; the purchasers go home and
awake to the bitter fact that not berry in
their basket is fit to eat. Even the top layers
are decayed on the under side, and there is no
redress. The wretch who rndid them has
worked off his stock and departed. To-mor-
row he will be dealing in spoiled lemons on
some other street; and the next day win find
him handling calves livers of an uncertain
favor and dogs meat He deals only in de-
cayed food of one kind or another. Anything
whole and in good condition is not to his
taste. There is no money in it. He would
have to pay the same price as the regular
dealers for it and sell it at the same. He
couldn't afford it. He is speculator in ruined
edibles; and his profit is from fifty to a hun
dred per cent. He buys up truck suitable
only for the garbage barrel and makes it out
sell any hot cakes that were ever baked.
There seems to be nobody to call the thievish
sidewalk fruit dealer to account. The board
of health has the authority to cope with hlm,
but, alasi it is not always on hand; and he
changes his location and his merchandise so
often that there is no pinning him down and
proving his villainy.
Where does this class of disguised robbers
come FRONT Quite often they are butchers
assistants who handle meat till 8 o'clock in
the morning, and then throw themselves en-
ergetically into the rotten fruit business for
three or four hours. The remainder of the
day they devote to looking up a new stock
for the morrow. Not all sidewalk yenders
are of this order; but he OF the cheap fruit
is to be avoided, if you do not want to waste
your money and lose confidence in your good
senss at the same time.
GERTRUDE GARRISON.